Carton for cylindrical objects



Dec. 9, 1958 G. c. CURRIE CARTON FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4. 1953 YA m a a .QR (1 9 1 0 a k a a 3 w||l k 3 2 5 (I 3 l I W a my w w 1| w W MJR. \M W INVENTOR: 62 0! C (022/6 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 9, 1958 G. c. CURRIE CARTON FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4. 1953 INVENTOR. 670m? 6 6022/5 an, r M

ATTORNEYS Dec. 9, 1958 G. c. CURRIE 2,863,598

' CARTON FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Fil ed May 4, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORi 6mm? 6: (Mae/z ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 9, 1958 G. c. CURRIE CARTON FOR CYL INDRICAL OBJECTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 4, 1953 INVENTOR 690m? 6. (aw/z ATTORN E Y5- I? [lEI-llllllil Dec. 9, 1958 G. c. CURRIE 2,863,

CARTON FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Filed May 4. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORZ I Gnome C (bee/e ATTORNEYS.

CARTON FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Grover C. Currie, Charlotte, N. C., assignor to Dacam Corporation, Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,850

2 Claims. (Cl. 22952) This invention relates to portable, collapsible carriers or cartons for a plurality of cylindrical objects such as cans of soup, fruit juice, beer and the like, and more especially to a carrier which can be formed from a single sheet of stock such as cardboard material and which is so constructed as to confine a plurality of cylindrical objects therein.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a carrier having side walls, bottom flaps and two top portions connected to each other by handle portions wherein reinforcing and securing means are provided for connecting the two portions forming the top of the carrier without securing the handle portions together.

It is another object of this invention to provide a carrier of the type described wherein the top portion thereof is made in two sections connected together by interconnected handle portions and wherein reinforcing and securing tabs are formed integral with one of said top sections and are adapted to be adhesively secured to the other of said top sections to obviate the necessity of securing the handle portions together in a separate operation as by stapling or the like.

Heretofore in cartons of this type wherein the top Wall is formed from two sections connected by a handle portion, such as is illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,559,948, it has been necessary to secure the handle portions together by staples or the like and this additional operation is frequently undesirable. Also, in this type of carton strain is put upon the side wall by the cans which sometimes causes the handle portions to pull apart and for this reason it is another object of this invention to provide reinforcing means adapted to secure the sections of the top wall of the carton together adhesively when the blank is formed so that the blank may be shipped in collapsed position with the top portions secured together and amply reinforced. Thus after shipment no additional operation is needed except filling the carton and securing the bottom flaps together.

It is another object of this invention to form a carrier of the type described which may be filled from the bottom and which has a reinforced top and wherein the side walls of the carrier are provided with a plurality of substantially arcuate slots spaced along the juncture of the side walls with the respective top and bottom Walls, said slots forming openings upon the carrier being erected for receiving rim portions of cylindrical cans or the like to maintain them within the erected carrier or carton.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the carrier is formed looking at the inner surface of the blank;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a completed carrier, with parts broken away, and with the cylindrical objects omitted for purposes of clarity;

' United States Patent Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner surface of the carrier blank shown in Figure 1 in unfolded position after the reinforcing tabs have been secured to the top portion;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the carrier blank folded into shipping or storing position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a filled carrier made according to this invention;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 5 and showing the manner in which the cylindrical objects are retained within the carton;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a blank used in forming a modified form of carrier looking at the inner surface of said blank;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of a completely erected carrier formed from the blank shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the carton partially erected;

Figure 10 is an enlarged side elevation of the modified carrier blank folded into shipping or storing position; a

Figure 11 is an isometric view looking up at the bottom of an erected carton formed from the blank shown in Figure 7, with parts broken away, and with the cylindrical objects omitted for purposes of clarity;

Figure 12 is a plan view of a blank used in forming still another modified form of carrier looking at the inner surface of said blank;

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 showing the handles and top secured together;

Figure 14 is an enlarged side elevation of the modified blank shown in Figure 12 and showing the same folded into shipping or storing position;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary isometric view of a completely erected carrier formed from the blank shown in Figure 12 showing the handle assembly thereof;

Figure 16 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 1616 in Figure 15 and showing the handle flap in upturned or carrying position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly designates a carrier or carton blank which may be formed from a single piece of any suitable material but is preferably formed from stiff paperboard or cardboard. The blank 10 is suitably scored transversely thereof as at 11, 12, 13 and 14 so that when erected, the blank 10 will take the shape of an openended substantially rectangular box. The score lines 11 and 12 define edges of a bottom flap 15, a side wall 16 and a top portion 17, while the score lines 13 and 14 define edges of a top portion 20, a side wall 21 and a bottom flap 22.

The top wall portions 17 and 20 are connected by handle portions 23 and 24 which are hingedly interconnected as by a line of perforations 25, the handle portions 23 and 24 being connected to the top portions 17 and 20 as by score lines 26 and 27, respectively. The handle portion 24 is cut away at 28 and scored as at 29 to form a handle flap foldable along the score line 29. The handle portion 23 is cut as at 18 to define an intermediate reinforcing flap 35 which is connected to the top portion 17 as by a line of perforations 19. The line 19 may be a score line if so desired. The intermediate reinforcing flap 35 is adapted to be secured to the under or inner.

surface of the top portion 20, as the carton is partially erected, as by adhesive 30.

The score line 26, which serves to hingedly secure the handle portion 23 to the top portion 17, also serves to hingedly connect opposed or endmost reinforcing flaps or tabs 31 and 32 to the top portion 17, said flaps being formed integral with the top portion 17. The reinforcing flaps 31 and 32 are also adapted to be secured to the under or innersurface of the top portion 20, when partiallyerecting the carton, as-by respective adhesive spots 33 and 34 on the inner surface of the top portion 20.

In partially erecting the carton, preferably at the time of -manufacture thereofythe flaps or tabs 31, 32 and 35 are folded along the lines 26 and 19 into superposed relation to the top portion 17. The carton blank is then folded intermediate its ends along the line 25 which connects the handle portions together. This places the top portion 17 in superposed relation to the top portion 20 with the flaps 31, 32 and 35 sandwiched therebetween. The flaps 31, 32 and 35 will thus be secured to the inner surface of the top portion 20 by the adhesive 30, 33 and 34. Obviously, upon the blank being thus folded, the side wall 16 and bottom flap will be superposed upon the respective side wall 21 and bottom flap 22, as will be clearly observed in Figure 4. The carton is thus partially erected and the reinforcing portions 31, 32 and 35 securely bind the top portions together without the necessity of stitching the same. The carton may then be shipped in this 'flat position, thus utilizing a minimum amount of space.

For purposes of illustration, the carton blank 10 is shown unfolded in Figure 3 to clearly show the manner in which the flaps 31, 32 and 35 are secured to the top portion 20.

When it is desired to fill the carton, the same may be further erected into substantially hood-like position by folding the side walls 16 and 21 along respective score lines 12 and 13, into substantially right angular relation to the top portions 17 and 20, at which time a plurality of cylindrical articles such as cans, indicated at C, may be inserted in the carton. The carton may then be fully erected by securing the bottom flaps 15 and 22 together in overlapping relation by any suitable means such as adhesive, not shown.

In order to insure that the cylindrical objects C will be maintained securely within the confines of the erected carrier or carton, I have provided improved object retaining means in the form of a plurality of substantially arcuate slots 40 spaced along the juncture of the upper and lower edges of each side wall with the respective bottom flap and top wall portion. These slots 40 are for a purpose similar to the purpose of the cut out portions shown in my prior Patent 2,559,948 but are cheaper and easier to form and do not weaken the carton at this point and they provide a greater area of cardboard in contact with the cans to hold the same more securely.

It will be observed that the side walls 16 and 21 are each provided with a plurality of vertical slots 41 extending from each of the arcuate slots40. The slots 41 permit a slight outward bulge in each of the side walls 16 and 21 adjacent each of the slots 40 in order to accom modate cylindricalarticles'as they are placed within the carton. The manner in which the side walls are curved or bowed outwardly by the cans is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein the bulge is somewhat exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

The outwardly bulging portions serve to frictionally engage the cylindrical objects and to assist in holding them in position. Generally the cylindrical objects C are provided with rims or lips such as indicated at 43, and the rims or lips 43 will project through the openings 40 formed in the side walls 16 and 21 upon the respective bottom flaps and top walls being moved into right angular relation thereto. It will be observed that the score lines 11, 12, 13 and 14 do not extend across the portion of the carton defined by the arcuate slots 40 so that a small tab indicated at 40a is formed by the, slots 40.

Modified form .Referring toFigures 7,8,9, 10 and 11, there willbe observed a modifiedform-of carton or-carr-ier for cylindrical objects, .also preferably, but not necessarily,

formed of pasteboard or cardboard, and utilizing the improved reinforcing and top securing flaps.

The numeral 50 broadly designates the modified form of carrier blank which comprises a first side wall 51, a bottom wall 52 hingedly connected to the lower edge of the side wall 51 as by score line 53, and a second side wall 54 hingedly connected tothe bottom wall 52 as by score line 55. The top of the carton is formed from a first top portion 56 hingedly connected to the upper edge of the side wall 51 by a score line 57 and a second top portion 60 which is spaced from the portion 56 in the blank. The portions 56 and 60 are connected to each other by handle members 61 and 62 hingedly connected thereto by respective score lines 63 and 64, said handle members being interconnected by a perforated line 65. The handle member 62 is cut as at 70 and scored as at 71 to define a handle flap 66, and the handle member 61 is cut as at 72 to define an intermediate reinforcing tab 67. The top portion 60 has endmost reinforcing tabs or flaps 74 and 75 extending therefrom, said tabs being formed integral with said top portion.

Adhesive areas 76, 77 and 78 are provided on the inner surface of the top portion 56, said adhesive areas being provided for securing together the top portions 56 and 60 when the carton is partially erected. The carton may be partially erected by folding the handle portions 61 and 62 outwardly into juxtaposed relation to each other along the perforated line 65, thus causing the reinforcing tabs 67, 74 and 75 to be positioned in superposed relation to the top portion 56, and then securing the reinforcing tabs 67, 74 and 75 to the under or inner surface of the top portion 56 by means of the respective adhesive spots 76, 77 and 78. With the carton in this position it will be observed that a handle is formed from the portions 61 and 62 and that the top portions 56 and 60 are securely connected, thus obviating the necessity of a separate stitching operation or the like upon the carton being subsequently filled and completely erected.

It is to be understood, however, that if desired, the score line 63 may be a perforated line and may be extended outwardly in opposite directions to hingedly connect the tabs 67, 74 and 75 to the top portion 60, and that the modified form of the carton may then be partially erected in the same manner as previously described for the first form of the invention. That is, the fiaps 67, 74 and 75 may be folded upon the top portion 60 and the blank 50 may be folded along the line 65 to position the top portion 60 in superposed relation to the top portion 56 with the flaps sandwiched therebetween.

In this modified form, the blank is so formed that it can be subsequently erected into a completely enclosed carton. To this end the side walls 51 and 54 are each provided with respective end flaps 80, 81 and 82, 83, and the bottom wall 52 has end flaps 84 and 85. Each of the top portions 56 and 60 has respective end flaps 86, 87 and 88, 89.

Extending from the end flaps 88 and 89 are reinforcing tab portions 90 and 91, respectively, which are adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the end flaps 86 and 87 as by spots of adhesive 92 and 93 respectively. In partially erecting the carton, as previously described, the tabs 90 and 91 are secured to the end flaps 86 and 87 to form an integral end flap at each end of the composite top formed from the portions 56and 60. The outer edge of the top portion 60 is also provided with a connecting flap 94 hingedly secured thereto as by a score line 95.

After the top portions of the carton have been secured together as described and as will be clearly observed in Figure 9, the top portions 56 and 60 together with the flaps 86 to 91 and 94 are folded along the score line 57 into superposed relation to the side wall 51 whereupon the side wall 54 is folded along the line 55 into superposed relation to the bottom 52'and the free edge of the side wall 54 is secured to the flapf 94 as byadhesive 96. This forms a flat partially erected carton as is clearly shown in Figure which may be easily shipped and stored.

In completing the erection of the carton the side walls may be moved into right angular relation to the top and bottom to form a carton which is substantially tubular. A plurality of cylindrical articles, not shown, which may be similar to the objects C shown in connection with the first form of the invention may then be inserted within the tubular member thus formed after which the end flaps 80, 81 and 82, 83 of the side walls 51 and 54, respectively, are moved into substantially right angular relation to said sidewalls. The top end flaps formed from the flaps 86, 88 and 90 and the flaps 87, 89 and 91 together with the bottom flaps 84 and 85 are then moved into substantially right angular relation to the respective top and bottom and are secured to the flaps 80, 81, 82 and 83 by adhesive or the like, not shown. The ends of the carton are thus completely enclosed to retain the cylindrical objects therewithin. I

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved carton or carrier for cylindrical objects wherein reinforcing tabs are formed integral with one of the top portions for securing the other top portion thereto. This causes the handle portions to be maintained in juxtaposed relation without the necessity of stitching or otherwise securing the same together. This also permits the carton to be partially erected in the initial manufacturing stages and to be shipped in flat condition for final erecting at the time of filling.

Second modified form Referring now to Figures 12 to 16, there will be observed still another modified form of carton or carrier for cylindrical objects, which is also preferably formed of pasteboard or cardboard and which has two separate top portions and handle portions interconnecting the same, and wherein means are provided for securing the handle portions together and the top portions together without the use of staples or the like. In thisform of carton, a tab is formed integral with one of the top portions in forming a hand opening in the handle and this tab is utilized in securing the top portions together by adhesive means and the handle portions are also .adhesively secured to each other. In this instance, only a single tab is utilized wherein in the other forms of the invention, a plurality of tabs have been used for this purpose.

The present form of the invention, shown in Figures 12 to 16 is substantially the same as that form shown in Figures 1 to 4 with the exception that the endmost reinforcing tabs or flaps 31 and 32, shown in Figure 1, are omitted from the present form of the invention, and therefore like parts of the carton illustrated in Figures 12 to 16 will bear the same reference characters .as those in Figures 1 to 4, with the prime notation added. It will be observed that the elimination of the endmost reinforcing flaps or tabs 31 and 32 results in the handle portions 23' and 24' extending completely across the carton. Also, in this particular form of the carton, the adhesive spots 33 and 34 (Figure 1) on the top portion 20 are not necessary, adhesive being applied instead to the under surface of the handle portion 24 (Figure 12), as at 100 and 101.

When it is desired to partially erect the carton, the reinforcing flap 35 is folded .along the line 19' into superposed relation to the top portion 17. The carton blank 10' is then folded along the line of perforations 25 so that the handle portion 23', the top portion 17', the side wall 16' and the bottom portion will be placed in superposed relation to the handle portion 24, the top portion 20, the side Wall 21' and the bottom portion 22', respectively. In this manner, the reinforcing flap 35 will be sandwiched between the top portion 17 and the top portion 20', and the adhesive 100 and 101 on the handle portion 24' and the adhesive 30' on the top portion 20' will serve to firmly secure the handleportions 23 and 24' together as well as securing the reinforcing flap 35' to the top portion 20'.

For purposes of illustration, the partially erected carton 10' is shown in Figure 13 with the top portion 17' bent back along the line 19 so that the top portion 17' is in superposed relation to the handle portion 23'. The handle portions 23' and 24', secured together by adhesive and 101, are shown in dotted lines.

Figure 14 shows the partially erected carton in folded position for shipping or storing and Figure 15 shows the carton completely erected, it being understood that this particular modified form of carton is filled exactly as is the first described form. It will be observed in Figure 15 that the handle flap defined by the line of cut 28 and the score line 29 remains in substantially the same vertical plane as the handle portion 24 upon the carton being filled and completely erected.

When it is desired to pick up the filled carton the handle flap thus formed is adapted to be pushed outwardly through the hand opening in the opposite handle portion 23' and bent upwardly along the score line 29' to substantially the position shown in Figure 16, thus simultaneously providing a hand opening and a smooth rounded carrying surface.

In this connection, it is to be understood that although each of the handle portions in each form of the invention is illustrated as having only one hand opening and one handle flap or reinforcing flap associated therewith, the invention is not to be limited thereto, it being obvious that one of the handle portions in each form of the invention may be provided with a plurality of hand openings and a corresponding number of handle flaps and the opposite handle portion in each form of the invention may be provided with a like number of hand openings and reinforcing tabs.

It is to be understood that although this particular form of the carton is illustrated as being adapted to carry only four cylindrical objects, the capacity of the carton is not necessarily limited thereto, nor is the capacity of the carton illustrated in the other forms to be considered a limitation, as the basic structure illustrated herein may be expanded or diminished to accommodate any desired number of cylindrical objects.

It is thus seen that in this particular modified form of the carton that the handle portions may be permanently secured together in juxtaposed relation and the carton stiffened thereby without the necessity of a separate stitching or stapling operation. It will also be observed that in this, as well as in the other forms that the carton may be partially erected in the initial manufacturing stage and may be shipped in fiat condition for final erection at the time of filling.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and,

although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a carton having at least one pair of side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall panel formed of component panel portions each foldably joined to one of said side walls; a handle portion formed integral with the top wall panel and comprising a pair of handle panels foldably joined together at adjacent edges and each of said handle panels being foldably joined at its opposite edge to one of said component panel portions, at least one reinforcing and securing tab out from one of said handle panels and extending from one of said component panel portions, a handle flap cut from another of said handle panels and foldably joined thereto, the reinforcing and securing tab being permanently secured to the underside of the other component panel portion to unite the component panel portions and bring the handle panels jinto facing relation with each other, and said References Cited in the file of this patent handle flap being foldable at its juncture with its handle UNITED STATES PATENTS panel through the other handle panel to form a hand hold. 345,298 Goodbody July 13, 1886 2. A structure accordingto claim 1 wherein additional 5 1,522,311 MacLellan Jan. 6, 1925 reinforcing and securing tabs extend from said one corn- 2,289,859 Arthur July 14, 1942 ponent panel portion adjacent said handle panels at each 2,523,986 Foster Sept. 26, 1950 end thereof, and said additional reinforcing and secur- 2,559,948 Currie July 10, 1951 ing tabs being permanently secured to said other com- 2,603,923 Chidsey July 22,1952

ponent panel portion. 10 2,691,471 Forrer Oct. 12, 1954 

